Sometimes these ponderings will be from Caunes, and sometimes from Yorkshire.

Wednesday, 4 December 2013

PARKRUN

I can’t
believe it’s been over 3 weeks since I last blogged. Life has been hectic in
our house here in Hebden Bridge as we get closer to Christmas. We’ve tried to
see as much of the grandchildren as possible. So, a theatre trip with the 3
eldest, some drop in visits to their homes and what has become a regular
Saturday morning get together have all been lovely.

It is the
Saturday morning meetings that I want to blog about today. It all revolves
around “ parkrun”.

“parkrun” is
an organisation that holds free weekly 5km timed runs, all around the world.
The runs are open to everyone, from complete beginners to Olympic standard
runners. They cost nothing to enter, they are safe, well marshalled, and very
easy to take part in. In the UK, they operate in 236 locations, and to date,
have organised 23,172 runs !

Sometimes the runs have themes.... a couple of weeks ago, it was superheroes....Matt is on the far right.

Once you
have registered on their web site andprinted off your bar code, you can turn up at any run, run, and then
within an hour, receive a text telling you your official time, and position.

I have
competed in the Huddersfield parkrun 3 times. The first time I only ran 3 kms,
and was exhausted so gave up.( I was
very proud of myself though.....3kms seemed like a long way to me, and after
the year of illness and recovery that I have had, 3kms was pretty amazing ).

My next
attempt actually had me completing the whole 5kms. I came 442 out of 448
runners. It took me 44 minutes 48 seconds, and stepson Matthew, and step
daughter Jodie, who had both already completed their runs, came back and joined
me, to help me “sprint” across the finish line. It was very emotional, and I
knew I was hooked.

My run last
week, was actually slower. I took 46 minutes to complete the two and a half
circuits of Huddersfield’s Greenhead park. I was 452 out of 454 runners. My
strategy is to run a bit, walk a bit, run a bit, walk a bit.....and my plan is
to try to run a bit more each time. Who knows how long it will take me to catch
up with daughter in law Sarah Jane, who somehow manages to do it in under 40
minutes, pushing a buggy with 3 month old Flynn. Or Jodie, who did a fantastic
32 minutes last week, or Jess, who did a 28 minute run in Liverpool last
weekend.....or of course, Matthew, the family champion, who was overweight and
couldn’t run at all 2 years ago.....and who now looks amazing, regularly runs
10k for various charities and completes 5km in far less than half the time I
do.

some of the marshalls.....all volunteers, encouraging and cheering.

It is not
actually competitive at all. Everyone competes against themselves, trying to
improve their time. The volunteer stewards cheer on the elite runners, those
running with their children, and the slow coaches like me , who struggle to
keep going. In fact, if it hadn’t been for the marshalls encouraging me last
week, I think I would have given up at about 4kms.

The
atmosphere is brilliant. Families run together, or support each other, cheering
everyone on whether they are friends or complete strangers. Between 400 and 600
people, and their supporters are all brought together, for an hour every
Saturday morning, in Huddersfield’s lovely Greenhead Park

Matthew and
Sarah’s eldest son, Dexter, will be 6 in March. He has now completed 12
parkruns. Sometimes he does brilliantly, running much faster than I can, and
sometimes he takes it a bit easier...stopping for a quick wee behind a tree.

The photo being held up on the right shows Dexter, with his dad, Matt. 15 seconds of fame....and he's only 5.

Last week,
the BBC’s One show announced the candidates for Sports Personality of the Year,
and asked people to send in their photos of any sporting heroes they had. Sarah
sent in a photo of Dexter on one of his runs.....and they showed it on the
programme. Dexter was incredibly excited. His teacher saw it, his great
grandmother nearly fell of her chair when she saw it, many of his friends saw
it. Then last week at the park run, as he crossed the line, many supporters and
regulars cheered the TV star across the line.

It has
become an important part of our week. We arrive at Carole’s house ( Mark’s ex
wife) at just after 8.30am......decisions are made about who is looking after
the children who are not running ( usually Mark ). Carole and Peter get on with
preparing a huge breakfast for after the run, and us runners head off to the
park. The klaxon goes at 9am, and by 10am, we are sitting round the breakfast
table, ready to replenish the calories we have used up on the run.

Well....I
never thought I’d be blogging about running. Watch this space for reports of
new personal bests over the next few months !

24 comments:

This is absolutely brilliant Janice. Well done you and your family, and particularly little Dexter..he must be so excited that his photo appeared on TV. And what a lovely way to get all the family doing something together.

I'm wondering if my daughter has heard about park runs. After her cancer scare in July she has made a huge effort to keep fit. She goes to the gym a couple of times a week and runs most days, but on her own. She has even considered entering a sponsored run next year for Cancer Research, so something like park runs would be a good idea for her.

By the way I have just been trying to email you but having problems with emails at the moment so have left you a message on Facebook. xxxx

get your daughter to check out the parkrun UK website....parkrun is one word and lower case...and I bet she'll find one near to where she lives. I am so impressed with the organisation. There are sponsors, arranged locally with the company.....and they agree very strict terms about safety and as far as I have seen, very little publicity for the sponsors ! ( I haven't seen any, but I understand Lucozade and a local sports shop are involved here in Yorkshire). Keeping fit is one way of feeling that you have some control over your life, or that is what I am finding. I like to think I am doing something that might help to keep the cancer away. Getting the whole family involved has been down to step son Matthew. he has been so encouraging of all of us, particularly me ! he writes a running/family stories blog... called Run daddy Run.....its on my sidebar if you fancy a peek. he started just telling people about his runs, but now he tends to include allsorts of family stuff too. So, not only has he become a runner, he has become a writer too in the last few months. I got your fb message...thanks, lots of love Jxxxx

Great post, Janice. Congratulations to all the family - it's a very worthy way to spend the morning and great exercise for young and old alike! I am so impressed that you are taking part - even after a year of good health, I would really struggle....And I was doubly pleased to see on the photo of the two game pram-pushers, my ex-colleague and good friend, Helen - in pink, in the middle - she's just clocked up 50 5km parkruns. I'd be very good at the last bit - I love sitting round a busy dining table! Axxx

I am pleased you saw Helen in the photo. 50 parkruns is brilliant. matt is onto #19 next week, and I will be onto #3 next ! ( I don't count the one I didn't finish ) Honestly, it is becoming such an event....I don't think I'll take part every week, but when I've had a good week at the gym, and am feeling up for it... well, who knows. I might get below 40 minutes one day !Breakfast at Caroles is brilliant. She and her partner, Peter, really push the boat out. We had an American themed breakfast to coincide with Thanksgiving, and Spiderman plates when it was the super heroes run. The kids love it.Thanks for the email....good to catch up Jxxxx

I think walking and chatting must be the best exercise for mind and body that there could be. The running is a challenge.....and once I've got it conquered, I'll revert to walking and chatting I think.

The Saturday morning meets sound so energising.It made me want to get out and run reading this blog.I loved the photos of Greenhead Park showing you all striding out.It is a few years ago now when we ran regularly through Delves Wood and Beaumont Park.

We saw the photo of Dexter on the One Show.It is amazing how you sit bolt upright when it is someone you recognise.I sat up when I heard his name and remembered that you had done the Greenhead Park run.

The marshalls look as if they thoroughly enjoy encouraging everyone to carry on running.

I can feel you are looking forward to achieving a personal best.You are a true star.

I'm delighted you saw, and recognised Dexter on the TV. he remains incredibly excited about it. Greenhead park isn't at its best at the moment....the trees bare, and the skies grey....but the development work that has been done has made it a very attractive park generally...and come the spring, it will look beautiful.

I have thought about the pram option too ! It is really enjoyable to complete the run, but the best bit is certainly having all the kids and grandchildren involved in some way...running, cheering, joining us for breakfast....I think we are all appreciating it as something good.

I am not sporty....believe me, I cant catch a ball and was always, absolutely always the last person picked for netball, hockey, rounders etc teams at school. This is different....it really is fun, a very joyful experience.

Janice, you are an inspiration, as always. What a great fun way for the whole family to stay fit, and I love the way you have breakfast at Carole's place. Staying friends is key. Although I walk every day, I doubt I could walk 5km, let alone run it. Well done!!

Carole is brilliant.....she and I are good friends, and she puts such a lot of effort into these Saturday breakfasts....we share the idea that creating memories for the little ones is part of our job. The running does include quite a bit of walking on my part.....perhaps a little less each week, but walking is good too !

Good for you, Janice, and for your family and friends as well. I really feel humbled by your determination and spirit and how everyone is becoming involved in one way or another. Do keep us apprised of your runs.

Thanks Penny....I have to say that crossing the finishing line with my magnificent step children, when I completed my first run, was a very emotional moment. The whole parkrun idea seems to be a joyful exercise, and I am loving being part of it.

Bravo! You certainly are taking control of your fitness. I can't think of a better way of doing it than with your family.

Like Patricia I think it is wonderful that you have such a close relationship with Carole which is an example to other families moving in to changed circumstances. I see so many kids who are having to tread a very fine line between their parents many years after a break up, afraid that they will be accused of taking sides, or worse still, used as ammunition.

If another comment pops up very similar to this it's because my first attempt disappeared into the ether!!

Thanks Gaynor. The relationship between Carole and I has been very good for many years. We are good friends, and we know that the kids have always appreciated the fact that they were never part of a broken family, just one that morphed a bit, extended itself and encompassed everyone. It helps when the two people whose marriage breaks up recognise that they still care about each other, no matter what, that new partners recognise that old partners are an important part of everyone's lives, and that the kids matter more than any of the adults involved. When we all realised that was our situation, it wasn't that hard !

What a fantastic way to spend Saturday mornings, Janice, and well done you for taking part. :-) I'm not surprised you haven'haven't had time to blog. Even when I was younger, fitter and slimmer, I was no runner. I'd have been there with you expecting to be the last one chosen for team sports. But a 5km parkwalk sounds do-able..... :-)

To be completely honest, a 5k walk sounds better to me too. I do struggle to complete the run, but the feeling of elation afterwards makes it worth the effort. I also have to admit, that having breakfast with the whole family is really the best bit !

Janice....what an awesome way to spend Saturday mornings....with family and friends. Looks like all are having a blast of fun. :-) My sister in law does quite a lot of jogging daily...she's up tp 35 to 50 K's almost three times a week....and runs any marathon that comes up here or the states.I'm happy all is well with you and your Family...take care.

About Me

In September 2011 after years of staring longingly in French estate agency windows ..... we finally bought a house 20 minutes drive from Carcassonne, intending to divide our lives between Hebden Bridge and Caunes Minervois. Things haven't worked out quite as we imagined, as I was diagnosed with cancer last October. Following surgery and follow up treatment we are now working hard on my recovery, and are spending time in the two places we love.... Caunes Minervois and Hebden Bridge